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Tuesday, February 13, 2018

This Weather is for the Birds... {Keeping Chickens and Ducks}

We'd just gotten home on Sunday, and our youngest (8) could hardly ditch his church clothes, for a pair of shorts, fast enough. You see, it was February and sunny in Seattle... something to be celebrated! Never mind it was 44 degrees (and a winter coat would soon round off his "snow day on top, beach day on bottom" look).

And then to add to the seasonal confusion, all the leaves on the ground may lead you to believe it is fall. We're a little behind on fall clean-up. Truthfully, it always takes us until spring with our little-by-little approach.

Still, the sun was shining and we felt so alive and free...

Our almost 12-year-old's broken big toe (raising boys is not for the faint of heart) ruled out the trampoline and football, so the younger two boys took to their metal detectors. Of course the batteries were dead (this is how we roll) so plan B was put into place. Meanwhile, I let the chickens and ducks out of their run to have a little time to free roam. One of our boys yelled over to me, "Oh mom, are you having a photo shoot with the chickens?"

Yes I am, and it's totally normal. Be good or you're next. ;)

You may remember how pleased I was when our chickens and ducks were co-existing so peacefully. I'm sad to report that our sweet (or so we thought) perma-smiling ducks have become aware of their size. (They're about twice the size of our hens.) The Peking pecking order is real here at our little farmstead. And these two rule the roost...

I don't know what exactly it is about watching chickens that is so peaceful. But I've talked with other people who feel the same way. I always dreamed of raising our kids with animal life around them. There's something comforting about it.

Thank you for your post today. I am losing my father to MDS/Leukemia and I hope to have a dozen hens by springtime to help me fill the void. I had some in 2013 in a different location and lost them to predators. Now I know better. Chickens do calm the spirit.

I am so sorry to hear about your father. Praying you will both feel God's love and peace during this time. A friend was recently telling me how hatching chickens helped get her through a difficult time in her life. Caring for them, awaiting their arrival, gave her a little something to look forward to. And then when they're here, it is calming to watch them. Plus the eggs! Those are always nice too... :) Thank you for visiting, stop by again and let me know about your new chickens. I'd love to hear!

I'm reminded of the line in the Trisha Yearwood song 'watchin' chickens peck the ground'. When we got our first hens, we couldn't free range them at all (too many coyotes in Arizona). We would put flash lights on the patio in the early evening and let the light attract bugs - then bring the our 3 hens out and watch them go to town on them. We called it redneck entertainment, lol, and it really is sweet and fun :-) Now we have a place in Texas and they can be out a lot more. I love driving in and seeing the girls out and about. And I love even more that they turn scraps and bugs into beautiful eggs <3 I've thought about ducks too, but I'm wary of the pecking order. Love your sweet photos!

That IS creative entertainment! So funny. And yes, it feels good to give them scraps that they will enjoy rather than having them go to waste. Lots of simple joys with these birds. :) We have enjoyed the ducks - they always look like they're smiling and they were especially fun as ducklings. They would follow our boys around the house. They have just recently gotten more aggressive and I think it's primarily just towards one chicken (that had been injured) that they pick on. I think that's natural - but still sad. Thanks for stopping by. Loved your stories!!

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We recently moved to a farmhouse with some wide open spaces, just past the city limits. We count our blessings as our three sons run fast(!) and free in a country setting that we had dreamed of for years.

I enjoy home decorating and planning special gatherings for family and friends. Little by little we’re trying our hand at gardening, caring for animals and tackling projects around our little farmstead. What we lack in experience, we make up in heart.

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